Middlebury register. (Middlebury, Vt.) 1886-1937, 1887-02-04
THE MYSTERIES OF MoRMONIsM.
The Sights Seen by IA Converted Jewish
Rabbi-PIaces of Worship.


A recent visitor of prominence to this
city, is r. Wad-el-Ward converted
jewish rabbi from Palestine. He is per-
haps 80 years of age and is member of
the tribe of Levi He has more of an
Arabic cast of features than of Hebrew,
has swarthy complexion and piercing
black eyes, while his figure is slender and
wirv.
"Since my conversion to the Christian
faith, sixteen years ago, said he in per-
feet English to a reporter yesterday, II
have Travelled over nearly every portion
of the globe, preaching the cause of
Christ and learning the traits customs,
and languages of all nations. On my
way to California | stopped at Salt Lake
City, where l remained about six weeks
as the guest of some Mormon apostles
whom / had met in Jerusalem. my native
city. l visited all of the important places
in Mormondom, stopped with the people
themselves, and learned all l could. l
must say that found many things which
were obnoxious to me, more especially
the latter-day revelations of Joseph Smith
concerning the descent of the first apos-
ties from Joseph However, the people
certainly acted in a very hospitable and
courteous manner toward me. When |
went there | made up my mind to put
aside all prejudice, and not allow any
| thing | had ever heard against them to
interfere in any way with my judgment
of their character and customs l re-
solved to see and decide for myself. On
two occasions met President Taylor and
John Q. Cannon, who are still in hiding
from the minions of the law, as you
know. l found them courteous and will
ing to give me all the information which
desired
"Something about the temples? Oh.
yes certainly. They are invariably built
facing east and west. In entering one Of
them you come into a corridor. or outer
chamber where you are requested to re-
move your shoes. You are then led into
another chamber on the right. called the
men department. Directly opposite is the
wonen's department. Connected with
these rooms are small bathrooms, where
you are instructed to battle yourself, for
you are not allowed to carry the dust and
dirt of the outer world into the sacred pre-
cincts of the temple. You are then taken
into the laver room, which is an oblong
square in shape. Here you see huge
bronze font, weighing nearly four tons
and measuring about fifteen feet long by
seven feet wide. 1t is supported on
twelve bronze oxen in life size, and alto
gether is magnificent work of art. In
this room you are baptized, either for
yourself or for some dead relative or
friend. Mormon, you know, can be
baptized every day, if he likes, for the
good of some dear one in the spirit
world. In the marriage scenes, however.
the baptism is for the contracting parties
only. Adjoining the laver room is a second
bathroom of small proportions, where the
amounting ceremony takes place. Your
clothing. of course, is removed. and,
commencing with the crown of your
head, every part and member of your
body is anointed with sacred oil. | must
admit that this was not after the usual
Hebrew manner, and was naturally very
distasteful to me.
after the candidate has been anointed
the endowment robes are put on him.
These consist of a combination suit of
undershirt and drawers, made in one
piece, which are to be worn by the can
didate day and night and are never to be
taken off except to be replaced imme-
diately by fresh suit of the same kind.
White caps are also furnished for the
male candidates, which make them look
more like French pastry cooks than any
thing else. In addition to these a big
apron of white linen, silk, or wooden ma
terial, with a green fig leaf in front.
The women wear the same kind of robes,
with plain white Overtlresses and aprons
of smaller size, but of the same shape,
design and material as those worn by
the men. When the candidates have
been completely costumed after the man
ner / have described they are led into
still another room, which is called para
disc, and | frankly confess that have
never been in any room or garden that
SO nearly resem)led my ideas of real
paradise as that one did. Magnificent
oil paintings of flowers, BIRDS trees, and
every form of animal and vegetable life
, were to be seen everywhere They were
works of art, toe, that would not disgrace
the walls of any academy or salon. Here
the ceremony Of the expulsion from the
; Garden of Eden occurs, after which the
candidates are conducted to another
room called the world, which is also
handsomely decorated and furnished. |
nave not the tine and L doubt if YOU
have the space, u give a full description
of all these ceremonies, which NAV be
characterized rs cry solemn rigmaroles.
When all that | lave told you has Leen
gone through with the party begins to as
cend, and is talsn to the room of the
dead. a perfect gan of architecture, and
finer and more ehborate than any of the
: chapel5 in the Ngllahal or the Alham-
) bra. In this room occurs the ceremony
of the endowmen for eternity, or for the
dead. When thh is over you are led to
the last room. tn, holy of HOLES, where
you are given tn, grips and signs of the
Aaronic and Nelchisedec priesthoods
This rite to me was most distasteful -
San Francisco Chronicle.
2 The Cannibls of New Guinea.
These Gambia, are really fine set of
= men, both Intellectually and physically